“Sold . . . to the man with the sideburns and the greasy black moustache . . . oh, excuse me, Madam!” This line is taken from the musical Seussical Jr. based on the works of Dr. Seuss. The line is recited during an auction in which Horton the elephant, shortly after hearing the voice of the Whos of Whoville, is poised at the top of a tree, having been snookered into sitting on Mayzie La Bird's egg, was offered up for sale. This line is illustrative of how the auctioning world has been intimately integrated into the routine of our ordinary life. Historians have found evidence to establish that auctions have existed in society at least back to 500 BC. Over the centuries, the style, objects and methodology of the auction have changed but today, the auctioning environment is still alive and growing.
Although not the first, EBAY has certainly been instrumental in bringing the auction world to the Internet platform allowing any individual to be engaged in an auction from the comfort of their home. However, another pioneer in the industry, XCIRA, INC., has also revolutionized the auctioning industry by not only including the Internet as an access means to an auction, but more importantly, integrating a live auction environment into an Internet auctioning environment enabling, among other things, the ability for remote bidders and sellers to actively participate in a live auction virtually along side of local on-site participant and with all the same advantages, excitement and intensity of actually attending the auction in person.
Certainly, connectivity has made our rather large planet seem as though “it's a small world after all”. An individual can enter a single search in a web browser, pull up information related to the search query from all over the globe, place a telephone call or send an email to a company on the other side of the planet that was identified in the search results, and have a product shipped to his or her home with a confirmatory email sent to his computer all in a few sweeps and clicks of a mouse. Actions that used to take weeks worth of work can now be accomplished in just a few moments.
In addition, it was not that long ago that if an individual wanted to conduct research regarding a product purchase, the individual would go to the local library or their personal library, and search through the additions of CONSUMER REPORTS to try to find a description and comparison of comparable products, the pricing and reliability of those products, and use this information in an attempt to make an informed decision. Today, a vast array of information is available to a person through the use of the Internet to conduct such research more quickly and reliably. As a few examples, THE WIRECUTTER and THE SWEETHOME websites pool a wide range of sources for conducting product research. In addition, sites such as AMAZON, OVERSTOCK, etc. provide the ability for consumers to purchase directly from individuals or companies and take advantage of having access to used items, discounted items, discounts available through bulk purchasing and overstocking of inventory, etc.
In view of the radical advancements in worldwide connectivity through mediums such as the World Wide Web, cellular infrastructure, etc., there remains a need in the art for the logistical implementation and integration of capabilities as previously described, as well as other capabilities, into real-life scenarios. Often times, the lack of knowledge, understanding, and/or imagination can be a stumbling block for various business entities, market segments, and industries to fully comprehend and incorporate such technological advancements into their world and to fully reap the benefit of such advancements.
XCIRIA, INC. has been quite instrumental in pulling the auction industry into this “connected world” and along with the growth of the Internet and connectivity, XCIRA, INC. has brought radical modification to the auction industry. Through XCIRA's invoation, an industry that was at one time limited to the noise and bustle of the auctioning floor in an auction house with the yipping of the auctioneer has been opened up to participants that remain in their office, or at home, or at another auction house while bidding and following items in an auction house half-way across the country. This has been accomplished by bringing the auction houses online such that a person can watch items, hear the live bidding, yipping and calls of the auctioneer, and bid on items just as though he or she was standing in the lane.
Although great advancements have been made in the auctioning industry from the perspective of access and/or remote participation, little has been done to change the overall structure or operation of the auction process. More specifically, the great advancements in technology and connectivity that are available to help guide and run businesses in this age of connectivity and data warehousing have not been fully exploited to revolutionize the auction industry. As a result, much of the operation of auctions remains the same and auctions tend to be one-dimensionally focused. For example, in an auto auction, as each vehicle is brought into the lane, the auction house, the bidders, the auctioneer, etc., are all focused on that single car. The auctioneer is trying to find a buyer—he is scanning the audience and watching the bidders in an attempt to find an interest that can be leveraged to sell the current vehicle (i.e., obtain a conversion). The bidders are looking at the product and deciding if it would meet their particular needs for the particular moment, be it transportation, leasing, reselling, refurbishment, parts, etc. In addition, all participants share in the energy of the auction, the desire to have a “win”, the competition and excitement of the moment.
The present disclosure focuses on further advancements in the integration of the auction industry into out connected world.